Sonko Wins Ksh 537 Million Battle as Court Dismisses ARA Forfeiture Bid

‎The Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) suffered a major blow after the High Court in Nairobi dismissed its application to forfeit Ksh 537 million in former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko’s accounts over allegations of money laundering.

Sitting at the High Court in Milimani, Justice Nixon Sifuna ordered ARA to release the funds as soon as possible, pointing out that the Agency has failed to produce evidence implicating Sonko in the money laundering scheme.

Justice Sifuna indicated that the application to retain the funds under a preservation order was unsubstantiated and not merited.

The court indicated that it cannot be driven by suspicion alone without concrete proof to warrant the freezing of the private funds in the guise of criminal activity.

‎”The Asset Recovery Agency did not demonstrate with sufficient evidence that the funds in question were proceeds of crime or that Governor Sonko was engaged in money laundering,” Justice Sifuna stated.

The decision has had a big impact on the former governor, who has been fighting a string of court battles since 2020, when he was impeached from his position as county boss.

During his tenure as the Nairobi Governor, Sonko was at loggerheads with former president Uhuru Kenya, whom he accused of meddling in Nairobi county matters.
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‎Former president Uhuru Kenyatta subsequently formed the Nairobi Metropolitan Services, headed by army general Mohammed Badi, to oversee the city’s various development agendas.
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‎The action by Kenyatta later created a conflict of interest between the governor and the head of NMS, with the former now blaming the national government for his woes.
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‎This decision is also seen as a setback for the Asset Recovery Agency, which has pursued several high-profile corruption and money laundering cases involving public officials and private entities.
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